Astronaut and 'Terrible Towel' Return to Pittsburgh

HOUSTON, Nov. 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pittsburgh native Mike Fincke, a
colonel in the Air Force, has spent a full year in space throughout the course
of his career as a NASA astronaut. Most recently, as commander of Expedition
18, Fincke spent six months on the International Space Station continuing
science operations and helping to prepare the orbiting outpost to sustain a
six-person crew.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081007/38461LOGO )

As a mission specialist on the upcoming STS-134 space shuttle flight, Fincke
will add 12 days to his cumulative time in space. The mission will mark the
final flight of the space shuttle Endeavour. It is scheduled to be the second
to last flight of the Space Shuttle Program.

The Pittsburgh Steelers will honor Fincke Nov. 15 during pre-game ceremonies
at Heinz Field. Fincke will present the team with the "Terrible Towel" that he
flew in space during Expedition 18.

During his visit to Pittsburgh, Fincke also will visit his alma mater,
Sewickley Academy, on the morning of Friday, Nov. 13. He will spend that
afternoon visiting with students in the Avonworth School District.

On Saturday, Nov. 14, Fincke will visit patients at the Children's Hospital of
Pittsburgh of UPMC, and then he will visit Carnegie Science Center from 1 to 3
p.m. to deliver an educational presentation on space exploration and NASA
science research.

To schedule an interview or for more information about Fincke's appearances,
contact Elizabeth George at 281-483-8618 or elizabeth.george@nasa.gov.

Fincke was born in Pittsburgh. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics
and Astronautics as well as a Bachelor of Science in Earth, Atmospheric, and
Planetary Sciences from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; a Master of
Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Stanford University; and a Master
of Science in Physical Sciences (planetary geology) from the University of
Houston, Clear Lake.

He entered the United States Air Force in 1990 and is a distinguished graduate
from the United States Air Force ROTC, Squadron Officer School, and Test Pilot
School Programs. He has more than 825 flight hours in more than 30 different
aircraft. Fincke was selected by NASA as an astronaut candidate in 1996.

Fincke joins a team of astronauts this football season who are returning to
their hometowns to celebrate two NASA milestones: the 10(th) anniversary of
the International Space Station in orbit and the 40(th) anniversary of the
first lunar landing during the Apollo 11 mission.

For more about NASA and its programs, visit:

www.nasa.gov

For complete biographical information on Fincke and other astronaut
information, visit:

www.nasa.gov/astronauts

SOURCE NASA

Jenny Knotts, +1-281-792-7671, norma.j.knotts@nasa.gov, or Elizabeth George,
or Johnson Space Center, Houston, +1-281-792-7519, elizabeth.george@nasa.gov,
both of NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston